User blog:Degrassi Forever/Destroying Juliet, Chapter Ten
THIS IS NOT A FAN-FICTION. THIS IS A STORY I WORKED ON DURING MY SUMMER HOLIDAYS. Enduring the First Week: The rest of the week was more of the same, people whispering behind their hands, looking at me and mouthing stuff to the person next to them, or stopping with a guilty look when I walked into a room. I became steel. I made myself into an impenetrable fortress. I would not let the vicious gossip break me; if they were looking for a reaction from me they weren't going to get it. Both mornings, getting ready for school was like preparing for war. I knew what I was going to encounter and I knew it was going to be ugly. There were several things I could count on. One would be that Shae and Bitches would take every opportunity to call me slut or skanky ho. The second was that other kids, ones I didn't even know would ask me if I really had a daughter called Ruby, or ask how many abortions I'd had. The first few times I looked them in the eye and said "Ruby's my sister, I've never had a baby." But even if they believed me, it seemed they liked me to think they thought the rumours were true, so in the end I stopped explaining myself. Then there were the people who just watched as these two groups slowly tortured me every day. Home, however, was a completely different story. I didn't do any schoolwork, I couldn't eat and I didn't want to be around my family. When Dad picked me up from school I'd smile at him and listen to his standard, "So what happened at school today?" Hmmm, let me think Dad. What happened? I was called a slut, skanky ho and mole more times than I can count. People laughed at me and pointed at me. The Bitches are telling people I've had three abortions and a baby. My mobile's received fifteen messages each day telling me I'm a slut. Everybody but a group of rejects hate me. And I wish I was dead."Nothing," I'd say and stare out the window, thinking about getting home and getting online. There I'd sit for hours on end surfing the net, finding a new piece of mean gossip about me. It had become an obsession, to know every little thing they were saying. To say I was one of the most miserable people to have walked the planet would be an understatement. Each morning I'd stand in my room, staring at the girl in the mirror dressed in her sophisticated uniform and wish I could be back in my country school. Wish I had never stepped foot into this crappy senior high. I awoke Saturday morning with a deep sense of relief. I lay with my head against the pillows as I emerged from my dreams and wondered why I felt so light. Of course, I didn't have to go to school. I didn't have to see their faces for two whole days. I could have danced across my bedroom. As I came down the stairs I heard Mum and Dad in the kitchen. "Do you think we should organise a meeting with her home room teacher?" It was Dad. I didn't go in, but peeked around the doorway. Mum was sitting by the window at the little round table eating toast and reading the newspaper. Dad was wearing his daggy old green-checked dressing gown and pouring a caffeine-free coffee from the percolator. "I think we have to let her have an adjustment time. It's a big move for a teenager, Year Ten." Mum didn't look up from the paper. :"But she's not been herself," Dad said and sipped his coffee. "I think something's going on. She's so short tempered, she's avoiding all of us, she's spending hours on the computer, and she's constantly checking her mobile phone. It's not normal. When I asked her how it was going she brushed me off too quickly. The lady doth protest too much, methinks." "David, she's just trying to fit in." Mum shook the paper and looked up.I saw them connect and heard Mum falter. "Do you really think she's in trouble?" Her voice had suddenly changed." "Michelle, the warning signs are all there." I watched Dad sit at the table and pick up Mum's hand. "She's definitely not herself, she's up most nights, she looks terrible. We wanted her to go to a better school and a greater chance of succeeding. But I'm worried this upheaval's been to much for her. We haven't heard of any friends, she doesn't talk to us. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." It was time to break this up. I appeared around the doorway. "Morning," I said as cheerfully as I could. I went to the machine and poured some coffee. "What are we doing today guys?" I asked brightly. I watched them exchange a look. I had to be careful, I didn't want to overdo it. But I didn't want them on my case sniffing around, trying to find out what was going on. "Thought we'd go and check out some shops," Dad said. "We could redocorate your bedroom this weekend." "Excellent," I said smiling widely. When I went upstairs to change I could hear my phone making its fairy godmother sound. It sat blinking at me on the desk. I walked towards it slowly. Why today? This was my day off. New Message. There was no choice, I opened it. we r watchin u slut As usual the sender was listed as no number. My light mood evaporated immediately. Was there no reprieve? it was enough to make a person do crazy things. That weekend I received four text messages, three of them abusive, but the last one was a website address. I could feel my intestines shrivel - another website? I clicked the delete button and looked up to find Dad watching me. "Who's that?" he asked casually. "Just a friend from school." "I pretended to be really interested in some purple fabric. "This would make great curtains, hey Mum?" "Why don't you invite some of them over?" Dad said, "The pool's ready to swim in, I've had the solar blanket on for days. It should be at least thirty degrees in the water tomorrow." "Sure," I said, sliding my phone into my pocket. The rest of the day I aimed to be the old me. As we were leaving, Dad crrying Ruby in one arm and the tins of paint in the other, Mum loaded up with timber blinds and with bags of hardware, I almost walked straight into Shae. "Hi," she flashed her saccharine smile. "How you doing, Juliet?" It sounded almost like she cared. It was the first time she'd spoken to me face to face since the second day. I couldn't believe her balls! She was such a good actor. "Good," I said. I didn't want to sound churlish. Mum and Dad were watching the exchange with interest, but I found it difficult to look her in the eye. That bitch had made my first week at school a living hell. "Decorating?" she said, and amiled at Ruby. "Hello, you must be Ruby." Ruby screwed up her face, which immediately developed a red hue; her bottom lip quievered and she started crying. Good old Ruby! You know they reckon animals and small children can sense evil. "Shh, shh, Rubes," Dad said, jiggling her. But Ruby is no small crier, she has a wail on her that had every head in the massive warehouse running our way. "She must be tired," Dad said, putting the tins down. "Juliet, you haven't introduced us to your friend." "Oh, this is Shae from school," I said woodenly over Ruby's screams. "Mum, Dad and my sister," I emphasised the word, "Ruby." "Hi Shae," Dad said. "Hi Mr Maloney." she replied like a sugar-coated tiger snake. "Hi, Mrs Maloney." Dad was looking at me, making eyes. I narrowed my own at him - there was absolutely no way I was inviting her to my house. Suddenly I was terrified Dad would do it for me. "See ya Shae, we've gotta go." I picked Dad's tins up off the floor and started walking away. "Bye," she called waving as we retreaded. Neither of my parents said much to me in the car, but I caught them in the rear-view mirror looking at each other silently mouthing a conversation. See? Dad's mouth made the shape. Mum nodded. She's... ''his mouth formed, as he waggled his hand sideways under the steering wheel in sign language for 'suspect'. Mum raised her eyebrows and pouted her lips. Dad shook his head. Mum tutted. From the back sear I felt even more anxious. They were on to me. First stop at home was my bedroom. Mum and Dad were busy putting Ruby down for a nap and I got onto my mobile. '''mi place 2morrow 4 a swim @ 1?' I sent it to Sukey, Jemima, Marshall and Tamara. While I waited for their replies I quickly jumped onto the net and typed in the latest web address sent to my mobile. I chewed the bloodied skin around my nails as I watched the green squares of the status bar. It was like a drum rool, da da da da da da. ''The last square filled and the page loaded. A teenage chat room. My heart sank, a live-time bitch fight! I opened the Lounge. There were one hundred people online and the chat was fast and pretty disgusting, it was like a porn channel for adolescents. Everyone operated under a user name and most were heavy in sexual content. Dragon Girl and Metallica Guy were responding quickly to each other got web cam? wanna hav :)? I got web cam 2 yeah? reg. slut does it with any 1 any time duz she come online? can giv u her email when???? Juliet@hotmail.com thx later I almost ducked when my email address came up on the screen. Could they see me? I don't have web cam but suddenly it felt like everyone in the world had direct access to me in my bedroom through the computer. ''Stop it, ''I wanted to scream. ''Why are you doing this to me? ''At that moment, a window popped up in the right hand corner of my screen with its whirring noise. '''You have 2 new emails' Oh great! It was with a sense of defeat and punishment I opened my inbox. I looked at the messages with nauseous anticipation. I knew what they were going to say. I knew they would suck me further down into that place I was so desperately trying to keep my head above. With my eyes fixed on the subject bar I clicked Metallica Guy's email. From: 'metallica guy '''Sent: '''Saturday, February 7, 12:43pm '''To: 'Juliet@hotmail.com 'Subject: '''web cam Dear Juliet Are you interested in getting live action? A friend told me you have a web cam and like to get it off in front of it. Wanna hook up, we could do it together? Look forward to seeing you Hot and hard metallica guy I sat, hands frozen over the keyboard, staring at the message. What was wrong with him? Did he really think I'd be interested in doing that in front of a camera? Or was it just to shit me? My face was scrwwed up in disgust, I shook my head - ''NO. I sent it to the trashcan hitting the button hard, wishing it was his eye I was jabbing my finger into. Get stuffed loser. Then I opened Dragon Girl's message. '''From: '''dragon girl Sent: Saturday, February 7, 12:45pm '''To: '''Juliet@hotmail.com '''Subject: '''public information Dear Juliet, Soon u'll be hearing from some horny guys. Your reputation is out and so is ur email address. It was put on several teen forums roday and has been cent to guys who wanna do u. Hope you get enought that u'll keep your hands off guys at school. You dirty slut. dragon girl I sat in my chair trembling. This girl was so vicious, what was wrong with her? What had I done? I'd been at school a week. I hadn't tried to go out with anyone. I just wanted to make friends and fit in. Why were they doing this to me? Why? Why? Why? I wanted to scream. I wanted to smash something, the urge was so powerful. But instead I reached down and pushed the power button on my computer. ''I hope you crash, ''I muttered under my breath. I watched the screen blacken as my mobile made its noise. Message Recieved. I was being bombarded from every possible angle. What now? I picked it up - the sender was Tamara. I gave a huge sigh. I must have been holding my breath. I opened her message. '''c u 2moro Instantly, my phone made its noise again. Message Received from Jemima, and then after that from Marshall. It was much later that evening Sukey texted me; they were all coming. My shoulders instantly relaxed and I smiled to myself. I had made some friends, and tomorrow I'd have a normal day, in my pool, surrounded by people who couldn't care less about the crap being said about me. Category:Blog posts